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Pokemon Go Gen 3: Dragon-Types Revealed

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A whole new set of Pokemon are coming to Pokemon Go. While we’re still probably a few months away from the release of “Gen 3” Pokemon, it’s never too early to start looking at some of the new Pokemon and see how they might impact the game. We’re going to take a look at all of the Pokemon that will be included in Pokemon Go‘s next wave of releases based on their types.

Today we’re talking about Dragon-Type Pokemon, one of the rarest types of Pokemon in Pokemon Go. So far, we’ve only seen two Dragon-Type Pokemon in the game: the Dratini family of Pokemon and Kingdra. However, Gen 3 will add a whopping nine new Dragon-Type Pokemon to the game, many of which have the potential to be total game changers. Here’s a look at some of the new Pokemon coming to Pokemon Go soon:

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Vibrava and Flygon

The Ground-Type Pokemon Trapinch evolves into the insect-like Vibrava, which then evolves into the powerful Flygon. While both look like giant insects (and were inspired by antlions), they’re both Dragon/Ground dual-type Pokemon.

Dragon/Ground is a new type combination in Pokemon Go, one that adds both strengths and weaknesses to Flygon. While Flygon picks up advantages over Electric, Fire, Rock, Poison, and Steel-Type Pokemon, it also has a double weakness to Ice-Type Pokemon…which actually isn’t all that different from Dragonite.

Flygon’s Defense and Stamina stats aren’t very impressive, so it won’t rate to be anything more than a second-tier gym attacker in Pokemon Go. However, it’s still a fan favorite Pokemon and should be a fun addition to the game.

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Altaria

While Altaria looks like a bird with fluffy wings, it’s actually a Dragon/Flying dual-type Pokemon just like Dragonite. However, while it has the same strengths and weaknesses as Dragonite, its stats are basically the opposite of the Pokemon Go powerhouse.

Altaria is a really terrible Pokemon, with awful Attack and Stamina stats and a marginal Defense stat. Because Altaria doesn’t have many weaknesses, players might look at Altaria as a possible gym defender, but it doesn’t have much upside other than that. We’re expecting Altaria to become Pokemon Go‘s most common Dragon-Type Pokemon, as its pre-evolved form Swablu is usually a common Pokemon in most games.

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Bagon, Sheldon, and Salamence

While Dragonite is largely seen as the best non-Legendary Pokemon in Pokemon Go, that will probably change when Salamence arrives on the scene. With an Attack stat higher than every Gen 1 and Gen 2 Pokemon except for Mewtwo and a great Stamina stat, you could make the argument that Salamence is a better Pokemon in Pokemon Go than Dragonite, even though Dragonite has a marginally higher CP.

Salamence’s one downside is that it doesn’t have a very good Defense stat, which means that you’ll probably want to save it for attacking gyms. Still, Salamence should be a great generalist Pokemon, perfect for any gym battle or Raid.

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Latias and Latios

Latias and Latios are two of the upcoming generation’s powerful Legendary Pokemon. Even though they both look like a mix of jet plane and dragon, they’re both Psychic/Dragon dual-type Pokemon.

While they look almost identical except for their coloration, Latios is actually the stronger Pokemon in Pokemon Go. With a whopping Attack stat of 268, Latios is a top-tier attacker on par with Dragonite, Alakazam, or Gengar.

Latias’s specialty is defense, which is a bit useless since its a Legendary Pokemon that can’t defend gyms. Although it should still be decent in battle, Latias’s stats are more akin to a turbocharged Skarmory or Mantine than a great attacker. Players will still want to catch Latias, but it’s probably not worth it to invest a lot of Stardust and Candies into powering Latias up.

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Rayquaza

Players might be salivating over the opportunity to catch Mewtwo now, but the powerful sky dragon Rayquaza has superior stats to Mewtwo in every single way. Rayquaza is a massive serpent-like Pokemon that lives in the sky, eating meteorites as food. It only descends when its fellow Legendary Pokemon Groudon and Kyogre are feuding, basically so it can knock some sense into both Pokemon.

Rayquaza has fantastic Attack and Stamina stats, but only a middling Defense stat, which is okay since it can’t defend gyms anyways. Rayquaza will become a one Pokemon wrecking ball in Pokemon Go, a Pokemon capable of wiping out an entire gym on its own.